Rockets slip up, drop to fifth in 9-A race

Wednesday, February 4, 2009By Anthony S. Puca, Staff Writer

The Forrest Rockets played a solid game of basketball at MTCS Friday night, but slipped-up late in the fourth quarter and lost to the Cougars 58-49, leaving them one game back of MTCS in fifth place in District 9-A with one league game remaining.

Seth Brothers opened the scoring in the contest for Forrest as the Rockets started strong, leading 6-1. MTCS's Logan Siler hit a jumper, making it 6-3 before a Kyle Gugger bucket basket re-opened the five-point spread.

Andrew Kuhn scored for the Cougars, but Preston Pratt answered with a three-pointer to make the score 11-5.

Middle would come back, cutting the score to 13-10 before Kyle Griffy hit two free throws at the end of the quarter, giving FHS a 15-10 margin after one period.

The home squad scored four straight, opening up the second quarter, but Forrest's Corey Bishop drained a long three for an 18-14 Rocket lead.

Back-to-back three-pointers by Killen Middleton in the last minute of the first quarter gave MTCS a 22-20 lead before a very late Colin Henson basket tied the contest at the half.

The scoring would see saw to begin the third quarter and Forrest led 30-27 after a Gugger basket, but MTCS made a nine-point run to lead 36-30, forcing a Rocket timeout with 2:33 left in the quarter.

Henson cut the run with a basket, but MTCS scored four straight, before Henson blocked a Cougar shot at one end and was rewarded at the offensive end with a bucket in the paint to make the score 40-34 after three quarters.

The lead stayed at six until two minutes into the fourth quarter when Middleton drained another three, putting the Rockets into a 45-36 hole. Ferris Perkins hit two free throws with 4:23 to play and MTCS called timeout.

The Cougars came out of the timeout, opening a ten-point 48-38 lead before Brothers nailed a three-bomb from the corner, cutting the MTCS lead back to seven.

Two missed free throws by MTCS gave the Rockets an opening and Pratt made them pay, throwing down another three-pointer to slice the margin to just five points at 49-44.

The Cougars gave the ball back to the Rockets and Pratt went downtown once again, cutting the Cougar lead to a deuce at 49-47. Pratt stole the ball back, giving Forrest a chance to tie, but they could not convert and the game stayed at the two-point spread until D. J. Morris hit two free throws at the 1:12 mark, giving MTCS a 51-47 lead.

Forrest called time and Griffy scored out of the break, making it 51-49, inside one minute.

The Rockets would not score again and MTCS scored seven straight to end the contests for the final score of 58-49.

The loss dropped Forrest to 9-14 on the season and 5-6 in district play.

Pratt led the scoring attack for the Rockets with 13, including three treys. Griffy was next with a dozen points, Henson and Gugger each had a half dozen, Brothers scored 5, Perkins finished with 4, and Bishop had the lone three-pointer.